Pre-match reports

BALAÍDOS HOSTS THE RETURN TO LEAGUE ACTION

16/10/2021

After the international break and with little time to prepare, Sevilla FC will look to get back to winning ways after the first defeat of the season with three points against RC Celta

With the recent FIFA calendar finished, on Sunday Sevilla FC will return to the league. The return will happen in Vigo, in a run of games away from home which has characterized the start to the season so far. In fact, it will be the fifth game as the visiting side in LaLiga in eight games played. After winning the first of these at Getafe, Julen Lopetegui's side will look for their second victory away victory in the league this season, while at home the team has practically given away nothing with just two points dropped in the European game against Salzburg. After the painful defeat at Los Cármenes just before the break, Sevilla FC will look for a win at Balaídos, where they won last season in an exciting game decided by Papu Gómez, who scored the decisive goal in a 4-3 win.

The Argentinian is one of the doubts amongst the squad that Lopetegui can call upon, along with Montiel and Acuña. This is not due to the physical condition that they have returned with from Argentina but because of their early time of their return trip. The Sevilla coach has been welcoming back the squad over the past few days and tomorrow he will find out just how strong they are, in a stadium in which for the first time since the pandemic, will be at 100% capacity. In the league, with the games for Real Madrid and Atlético postponed due to the international calendar, everything is on what Real Sociedad to see how the league table is left after the matchday, just before the return of the Champions League on Wednesday at Lille.

Only Real Sociedad have a game amongst the three teams that lead LaLiga

At Celta, Coudet could work for the first time on Friday with all his international players once Néstor Araujo returned from Mexico. The Argentinian only has one injury for the game following the return of the internationals with the Peruvian Renato Tapia, returning from South America with physical problems. Compared to last season Celta have not had the best start to the league and currently have seven points. At home it has only managed three points, thanks to its last-minute win against Granada three weeks ago. So far it has lost at Balaídos against Atlético de Madrid, Athletic Club and Cádiz CF.

Refereeing the game will be the Basque Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea, who has refereed Sevilla on 12 occasions before, of which they have won half. Interestingly, the two last meetings have ending with a Sevilla victory, last season with a win at home against Granada (2-1) and the previous year also at home against Leganés (1-0). Celta is the team which he has refereed the most from the first division, with a total of 21 games, although five of them were in the second division. The results are completely equal with eight wins, eight defeats and five draws. Interestingly he refereed Celta against Sevilla in 2018/19, with a 1-0 victory for the Galician side. José Luis González González will be on VAR.